The Pay is $100 an Hour, But Only Nitpickers Need Apply

Today's guest blogger is Jen Capenito (pictured). As Pongo's Social Media Marketing Specialist, Jen connects with current and potential Pongo fans through Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Jen is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), a busy mom of two boys, and a certified reality TV addict! So, if you have questions about your resume or "Jersey Shore," she's your resource!

Many of us dream about what it would be like to have a high-paying job, like a doctor or a lawyer. A big house, fancy cars, the nicest clothes … then we wake up! Recently, a friend told me about a legit job where you get surgeons' pay for simply being good with kids, having patience, and not getting grossed out easily. I know you don't believe me, but it's true!

Okay, okay, there is one major drawback … you have to be a nitpicker. Literally!

That's right. Not nitpickers as in people who annoy you to death with every little detail; nitpickers as in people who remove nits—a.k.a. lice eggs—one at a time from your kids' heads!

I know, gross, but keep going …

If you're a parent, you've probably received a letter from school at one point, warning you that head lice are going around … ick! It makes my skin crawl every time I think about it. I assumed if my sons ever got lice, I'd wash the little buggers out (the lice, not my boys) with some special shampoo like my mom did with me and call it a day. But those nits are nasty little things that cement themselves to your kids' hair.

Enter the professional nitpickers.

From what I could find, the art of nitpicking isn't so new. It's been around since at least the early 1800s, long before chemical shampoos were invented. But now, as certain lice populations start to become resistant to the shampoos, and parents become more wary about chemicals in general, nit picking is becoming more necessary.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, surgeons make, on average, $219,000 a year, or approximately $105 per hour, based on a 40-hour week. (I would imagine most surgeons work more than 40 hours, so that's even less per hour.)

A professional nitpicker can charge up to $200 for the first two hours and $100 for each additional hour, plus travel expenses!

So, let's do the math. If you service five kids per week, at $200 minimum per kid, you're making $52,000 a year working 10 hours a week! Now double that if you get "in" with the PTO, or if there's an outbreak in certain schools at certain times, and you have yourself a $100,000+ job working half of a normal work week! Doesn't seem so gross anymore, does it?

There are some crazy, weird, and nontraditional jobs out there that pay well. Sometimes you just have to do something no one else wants to do.

What do you think? Is nitpicking a career path you'd consider? Leave a comment below.